Obsidian amulet in the shape of two
fingers

From EgyptLate Period,
after 600 BC

The 'two-finger'
amulet
shows the index and middle fingers, with the nails and joints
clearly indicated. They were placed on the mummy near the incision
by which the internal organs were removed before embalming. This
may suggest that the amulet was intended to reaffirm the embalming
process, the fingers representing those of
Anubis,
the god of embalming. However, the amulet could also have been
intended to 'hold' the incision sealed, to prevent
malign forces from entering the body, like the plaques sometimes
placed over the
wound.

'Two-finger'
amulets were mostly made of a dark hard stone such as basalt,
obsidian (volcanic glass) or steatite. Black was associated with
the Underworld. Black stones were often used to make statues of
Osiris
and for
sarcophagi
and other objects which were to be placed inside tombs. The
hardness of the stones was symbolic of endurance. Amulets were made
of such materials to ensure that their magical powers lasted for
all eternity. This is consistent with both interpretations of the
function of the 'two-finger' amulet, as it was
important that the body remained intact for all eternity, so that
the deceased could enjoy the
Afterlife.

Of the different
types of amulet placed on the mummy, the
'two-finger' amulet was a late arrival, first
evident only after around 600 BC.